It's a Wonderful Life!
Yes, it truly is! I was reminded of this recently after giving career advice and coaching to some friends who were laid off over the summer. The Christmas Season is especially difficult for those not currently employed. The pain stings even more if this is the first time you've been 'downsized' or let go from a company you spent ten plus years with. You thought that you can bounce back quickly only to realize that your funds are dried up and Santa has the 'deer in the headlight' stare.
Many of us have been there and begin to doubt ourselves. I express this to my friends and between the practical advice and experience I give them I also leverage the movie to help them move forward. Besides the obvious messages in the movie, I told them the actual 'truth' that many do not know. "Wonderful Life" was a return to feature films by both James Stewart and Frank Capra, who each took time away from Hollywood during World War II to fight (Stewart) and make documentary war films (Capra). Both were battle-weary and wondering if they still "had it". Stewart initially thought that coming out of a world war and now being on the set of a movie, was frivolous. He was ready to just pack it up, go back to his hometown, run his father's hardware store. So the struggles we see Stewart portray in the movie may not so far from the truth.
The lack of employment can fill one with depression and disillusionment along with family pressures only magnifies those feelings. The key is to engage your family and friends and let them know how you feel. One of the major messages from the movie is that "No man is a failure who has friends." The film magnifies the fact that one's life touches so many and whether you know it or not your life does matter. From savings two lives or just being kind to a stranger, the impact can be powerful. "Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" - Clarence to George, "It's a Wonderful Life"
So if you find yourself in a similar situation as my friends just remember that you do matter and that your family and friends love you. If your life is "wonderful" then be conscious that you make an impact, both small and large, with others and spread some Christmas cheer to everyone you 'bump' into. Remeber, Christmas can be a season of great joy and most importantly a source of HOPE. It is a time of God showing His great love for us. It can be a time of healing and renewed strength and a time of great generosity and fellowship. In today’s ever-growing secular push for commercialism, it is important to return to the true meaning and message of Christmas the birth of Jesus Christ and his message of REDEMPTION, TRUTH, CHARITY, HOPE, and LOVE.
The message is timeless and is found in many faiths and so I send out a heartfelt "Merry Christmas (Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel, Fr?hliche Weihnachten, Feliz Natal) and Goodwill to All!"
Quentin